


Everything, Okay

by yukiawison



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: M/M, Sadness, Sharing a Bed, gay shit, post Galra reveal, sleepy paladins, tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 12:58:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9821510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukiawison/pseuds/yukiawison
Summary: Lance sleeps in Keith's bed.





	

It wasn't as if he could bring it up. There had never been any formal acknowledgement of their arrangement, though when he put it that way it sounded creepy. 

It just happened one night when Keith was jolted awake, breathing heavily, cold sweat over his shaking limbs, and the lingering image of a Galra soldier aiming at his head. He hadn't noticed Lance until he was right in front of him, sleepy but concerned expression, collar of his nightshirt pulled at an odd direction so light bounced off his collarbone. 

"Are you okay?" He said softly, no trace of the usual teasing or easy smirks. It was past midnight. Past midnight people put up fewer shields. 

"No," he muttered. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. He felt dizzy and on the verge of tears. He wasn't in the mood to lie. 

"Do you want me to stay? I could uh...sleep in your bed with you," his voice faltered a bit now, maybe he was starting to wake up. 

"Is that some kind of a joke? Because I don't think it's very funny." Despite the shaking he had the sense enough to be offended. 

"It isn't."

"Then yes." Keith's face felt warm. Lance nodded and climbed in beside Keith, wrapping his arms around his waist gently and tucking his face into the back of his neck. 

"Everything's okay Mullet," he mumbled, and Keith felt his shoulders relax. Lance was warm and soft and comforting in the way he held him. Lance was a reminder that this was reality. There were no battles right now. There were no trials to threaten the only family he'd ever had. There was just this bed and this boy, and until morning everything would be okay. 

They fell into a routine. It started out only when Keith had nightmares but soon it was every night, just past midnight Lance would slip in his room and curl around him again. He didn't say much, just a whispered goodnight or small hum of contentment before they were both lost to the dream world. Lance always left before Keith got up, moving back to his own room to doze until Allura demanded they all get up and start on the day's training. 

Keith was sleeping better. Before Lance he was a ridiculously light sleeper. Before Lance his bed hadn't seemed comfortable. It went on for weeks and they never talked about it come daylight. During the day it was the same old Lance, cocky and competitive and ready to argue with him in an instant. 

It didn't really matter how he acted. Keith had had a little crush on him since his days at the Garrison. Now, working together everyday, the tiny crush was growing into a massive, ridiculous, unavoidable mess of a crush. 

"You could just tell him," Pidge said once, hardly looking up from her screen. They were sitting at opposite ends of the couch. Lance had just left the room. He'd come in from a training session with his face all flushed and breath heavy and Keith had actually stuttered out a response when Lance told him the training deck was all his. 

"What are you talking about?" He shot back, folding his arms over his chest protectively.

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Or not, it's up to you. I'm just getting tired of these mutual heart eyes you both think you're so good at hiding."

"Heart eyes? Between me and Lance?" He shot back defensively. His throat was getting tight, and a surge of panic made him feel like the room was closing in on him. The trouble with secrets was that once you got in the habit of keeping them it was hard to stop. 

"I always think it's best to just be honest. You waste a lot of energy lying," she said, voice soft. She adjusted her glasses and glanced over at him. 

"Hypocrite."

"Okay, I admit, I walked into that one." She smiled slightly and he sucked in a breath. Pidge was brave. She was brave and loyal and smart and strong in ways he'd never be. She was someone to be trusted. She wasn't someone who'd laugh at him, not at something like this. 

She shook her head and turned back to her computer, evidently done trying to get him to talk. He could just go train. He didn't have to tell her. He was going to get up but suddenly his legs felt heavy and his mouth was opening without the consent of his brain. 

"I'm scared to be honest about this," he said. He didn't look at her. He could feel his face heating up and his heart was pounding loud enough to disturb his thoughts. 

"Keith, it's okay," she looked up now and he felt almost dizzy. He hadn't told anyone that he was gay. He thought it might complicate things. Besides, with Zarkon on their trail it wasn't the best time for romance anyway. 

When he didn't respond she continued. "Keith, you didn't think we were going to be jerks about it did you?" She closed her laptop and looked at him pointedly. 

"I...uh, haven't really told anyone before so I was nervous."

"You haven't told anyone you like Lance or that you like dudes?"

"Both," he muttered, looking down at his shoes. "I haven't really had anyone to tell until now and now I don't want to screw things up."

She crossed the couch and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an odd side hug. "You're not screwing anything up. You absolutely aren't. I'm glad you told me."

"Thanks Pidge."

Though she insisted that Lance was interested too Keith wasn't convinced. They still fought. Even when they fought Lance ended up in his bed though, curling against him tightly and saying something about how he was stupid but soft. 

Once Keith gathered up enough courage to roll over and face Lance. He was fast asleep. Dark eyelashes quivered on his skin. He looked peaceful, peaceful and happy like he was dreaming of somewhere else. Somewhere safe. He felt breathless, breathless and on the verge of doing something stupid. He shifted back around slowly. Lance hummed and pulled him closer. 

Now, however, things were different. The night they told the team Keith hadn't slept. Allura wouldn't speak to him. The others gave him pitying looks or laughed nervously when it came up. He hadn't gone to his room. He didn't want to know if Lance would be there or not. He might be afraid. He might not want to share anything with a Galra. 

When Shiro disappeared his sleeping got worse. 

"Keith," Keith didn't hear him at first, he was too busy with the training simulation. It was his fourth of the day and his vision was starting to blur. 

"Keith you should get some rest," Lance continued, louder this time. He was in pajamas already, expression concerned and weary. He wondered if Lance had been sleeping badly too. 

"I'm not tired," Keith said, though it was a weak lie. He was nearly doubled over with fatigue, eyelids drooping and dark circles prominent. His hair felt greasy and his face unshaven. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Shiro, dying or dead or trapped somewhere worse than the first time. 

"Shut your quiznak and go to bed," Lance's fists were clenched at his sides. "I'm worried about you."

"You haven't been coming to my room," he spat. He didn't mean to say it. He was exhausted and upset and it was either yelling or crying at this time of night. "Is it because you don't want to be anywhere near someone like me? Are you scared? Do you hate me?" His voice broke. Now wasn't the time to be doing this. Lance was looking at him like he had two heads. 

"I haven't been sleeping in your bed because you haven't been sleeping Mullet," he said through gritted teeth. "I don't give a shit what you are Keith. I'm pissed you'd even think of that. You're a dick you know? Go to bed." He turned angrily and stormed off to his own bedroom. 

Keith sighed. He could do another simulation. He could lay down. He could curl up on the floor and think about what Lance had said. He could close his eyes and see the concern in the Blue Paladin's face. He could try to think about Lance instead of Shiro. 

He knocked on his door 15 minutes later. It was late. The castle was quiet. 

"What do you want Keith?"

"I was the one who was scared," he said. "I'm sorry. I was so convinced I'd lose you I didn't give you a chance."

"Lose me?" He was leaning on the doorframe tiredly. "What do you mean?"

"What does this mean?" He gestured between them. "Why do you keep coming back?"

"You don't like it?" His face fell a bit. 

Keith flushed. "I like it. Of course I like it. I just...what am I to you Lance?"

"You're, uh," he shifted his feet. "I don't care that you're Galra," he began. "Before I say anything else I want to make sure you know that. I like you any way you are. Keith you make this better. It's hard being here," he smoothed his hair back. "It's hard every day but when I'm laying next to you it's less hard. I like you a lot Keith. I like you so much," he looked down at the floor. "It sounds dumb when I say it like that."

"It doesn't sound dumb," Keith's ears were ringing. "I like you too. A lot. For a long time."

Lance laughed. It broke the tension. The fog that had enveloped the night started to dissipate. Keith started to cry. He was tired and happy and so sad. Nothing was okay. Nothing was safe anymore. Shiro wasn't here and nothing was right. But this boy he liked liked him too. This boy with his smile and his chin and his hair that smelled like lavender and sweat. This boy who wasn't afraid of him even though Keith was still a little afraid of himself. The boy who liked him any way he was. 

Lance wrapped his arms around Keith's waist and let him cry. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. We'll find him. We'll find him Keith. Let's go to bed." 

Keith nodded, vision swimming and feeling thoroughly embarrassed. He couldn't stop crying. Lance held his hand and pulled off his boots and his jacket and ushered him into bed. "You're okay," he said. "Just breathe." He tucked himself against him again, kissing his neck and whispering comforting things. 

"Tomorrow will be better," he said. 

Keith nodded. Tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tired trash.


End file.
